Las Fuentes — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Hello! I don’t usually write reviews but after witnessing what we did the other evening at Las Fuentes, my friends and I all agreed something should be said. We all have past industry experience, so we are attuned to what happens when in regard to HOW a restaurant works. First red flag, we arrive and after a significant wait, we are finally seated. (We were a party of 6, nothing that should be difficult to accommodate). We are asked to place drink orders right away. Before we’d even been given any water. When we asked for water first, our server said it was policy to get drink orders first. What?? Who does that? People with either drink or not drink, it’s not like someone is going to come in wanting a margarita, see a glass of water and think “Nope, this is fine.” Absurd. We place our drink orders and then Red flag two: It takes forever to get our drinks. My friends and I started looking around, and realized the place was VERY understaffed for the number of tables in house. Okay, it’s not our servers fault, they were just overwhelmed by poor staffing decisions. Then we started noticing disturbing behavior. There was one individual (whom we later discovered was the owner) who was walking around, berating the staff, yelling and in some cases even physically confronting them. ALL in front of the customers. It was humiliating. We overheard a few of his rants, and he was saying some very disturbing things. Violent and aggressive behavior. It was very clear he was essentially a controlling infant who got off on abuse. It was disgusting seeing how he treated his employees. And they were in terror of him. In the end, the food was overpriced and very bland, the owner is abusive and unpleasant, and the whole experience just left us feeling uncomfortable, and depressed for the staff that was doing their absolute best for such a miserable tyrant. Should the owner actually read this, everything you scream at your staff about is YOUR fault. You obviously have no capacity to run a healthy business, manage people, understand basic staffing needs, or be an adult. You came across to your customers as an angry man-child with control issues. I can’t imagine how your staff must think of you. I only have hope for your staff, but you sir, are a disgusting...

0/10- I DO NOT RECOMMEND

As a frequent patron of Las Fuentes restaurant for the past five years, I recently experienced a disheartening incident on July 19, 2024, which compelled me to share my disappointment. I arrived at the restaurant at 4:15 PM to meet with a member of my team for a business-related discussion. Despite being a supporter of the restaurant and often bringing in additional customers, I encountered an unexpected and distressing situation.

Within less than 10 minutes of my arrival, while I was reviewing important business documents and sipping on a beverage I had purchased, I was asked to leave the premises without any clear explanation. The lack of courtesy extended to me was deeply disconcerting, I assembled my belongings, and politely asked to close my tab and I left the restaurant feeling embarrassed and perplexed. This abrupt turn of events, especially given my history as a loyal customer, has significantly tarnished my perception of the establishment.

Furthermore, the subsequent behavior displayed by a staff member, whom I later identified as Carolina, was unprofessional and derogatory, adding to my dismay. This conduct, witnessed by my business associate, further compounded the adverse experience. (*There are low-rating reviews below that mention this young woman's attitude, which may provide additional context BE AWARE OF HER)

Having dedicated a decade to the hospitality industry, I strongly advocate for the provision of comprehensive hospitality training for the staff, emphasizing effective communication and the management of diverse situations. Business establishments must demonstrate their appreciation for customers and their commitment to upholding the brand's values.

In light of these unfortunate events, I am compelled to refrain from recommending Las Fuentes restaurant to others and to divert my patronage to businesses that prioritize customer satisfaction. I hope that this feedback will prompt the necessary improvements within the establishment.

Consider the following recommendations for exceptional dining experiences, vibrant ambiance, attentive service, and authentic *QUALITY Mexican cuisine in the Lincoln Park area: Cesar's Killer Margaritas on Broadway Crio Tarascas Old...

I'll just be blunt about my review. This place SUCKED! Im not expecting a huge plater but for the price I should get a better looking plate. Food wasn't that great, the atmosphere was like being in a 9th grade dance but at this place they let young kids in with fake ID 🪪. Seen this all night while we were having dinner. We showed up probably 40min before the restaurant switched to a club and immediately were approached by a lady that was selling wrist bands saying it was $20 each. I told her we were there for dinner and not the club and that we were going to leave after dinner. She got mad and said that we only had 20min to eat and leave but we still had 45min until the restaurant closed. She tried to get loud with me but right away I shut her up by telling her that again we were only there to eat and not the club. I told her that she needed to go somewhere with that attitude and wait until we were done. When our food was delivered I saw that she kept staring at our table to see when we were leaving. This place is so disorganized because we had enough of the attitude so told our waiter if we can please have our bill. Took the guy 15min to get it and 20min for him to give us back our card, I had to hunt him down because at this point the people coming for the club were more important than us having dinner. While getting ready to leave saw that probably 80%of the place was full of young people, though tommy self "maybe they are 21 and over" just so weird. Went next door to the blues bar and notice a crowd of young kids that were at the restaurant tried to get in to Kingston mines and right away the security notice that they all had fake IDs . But they were let in at the restaurant. Someone needs to look into this. The fast food burrito 🌯 place next door has way better service and friendly cooks than this fancy wanna be looking Mexican restaurant. Super bad experience for the first time being here. Next time the host should of said something about the restaurant turning into a club at a...